mathematically alive

A film by joseph coburn & katherine foronjy

About the Film

This engaging documentary is for all New York Mets fans and for anyone who is a devoted fan of a sports team. Directors Coburn and Foronjy share the stories of a spectrum of Mets devotees and take us on their roller-coaster ride through the 2006 playoffs.

Mathematically Alive explores why sports are such an integral part of American culture; What the affects are of following a team and, more importantly, why fans continue to invest so much emotion, time, and money.

They are the stories of any fan in the United States. For some it's an escape from reality. For others it forms their identity. Their fanaticism, not too far off from your own or someone you know, makes for a fascinating window into an often unexamined part of everyday life: Sport Fandom.

What People had to Say

"Mathematically Alive captures the heart and emotions of rooting for a baseball team.A must see for any Mets fan!"Gary Cohen - SNY-TV

“If there’s ever a time for Mets fans to be reminded of their irrepressible capacity for hope,􀀀for belief, it is now. ‘MathematicallyAlive’ is a celebration of those amazin’ souls who􀀀just gotta believe.”􀀀Greg Hanlon - Brooklyn Courier-Life

​"In this outstanding documentary... Filmmakers Coburn and Foronjy, through candid􀀀interviews, take us into the lives of these fans with respect and care, which is refreshing in a􀀀genre that often exploits their subjects. The storytelling is absorbing and fascinating."􀀀Rob Leddy - Director, Coney Island Film Festival􀀀

"Mathematically Alive goes deep into the soul of Mets fans and shows the raw emotion of􀀀Rooting for a sports team and the reason that “fan” is short for “fanatic.”"􀀀Stephen Keane - Kranepoolsociety.com

"Mathematically Alive is the perfect cure for Mets fans who are still discouraged by the􀀀2007 season. The heart-warming emotion and the never-ending enthusiasm of all the􀀀fans in this amazin' documentary is absolutely uplifting. This film is 100% Mets Merized!"􀀀Joe DeCaro - MetsMerized Online􀀀

“Mathematically Alive, a documentary by Joseph Coburn and Katherine Foronjy, gives􀀀devotees of the New York Mets their due by capturing the passion they hold for their team,􀀀what baseball means to them, and the high and lows that come with winning and losing.”􀀀Anthony Stoeckert - Time Off New Jersey􀀀

“2006, that was the year. It was a magic carpet ride. You just felt in your bones that the Mets􀀀were gonna win and I think the film brings out those emotions from start to finish.”􀀀Mike Silva - Gotham Baseball Live

“It is a moving and accurate portrait of Mets fans as a group,􀀀and as a phenomenon. We are allowed our uniqueness. After all, being􀀀a Mets fan is different from being a fan of other teams. But one of􀀀several brilliant things that the filmmakers do is show us how Mets fans􀀀exemplify the human race at its best, and arguably, at its healthiest. At􀀀the end of this film, you come away with the impression that the world􀀀would be a lot better if everyone was like a Mets fan: if everyone􀀀derived their greatest pleasures from loyalty, love, and community, and􀀀not from anything as flimsy or uncertain as triumph.”􀀀Dana Brand - Author, “Mets Fan”􀀀

“Mathematically Alive probes beneath the face paint. While not strictly a profile of superfans,􀀀one of the many strengths of this movie is deconstructing them. When you see one of them􀀀on a feature on the TV news, usually before or after a Mets game at Shea, there is screaming.􀀀The superfan screams. People around the superfan scream. This is what big fans of sports􀀀teams do if you absorb them in three second bites: They scream and make asses of themselves.􀀀Not here, however. You can only scream for so long before you simmer down and talk.􀀀And beneath the face paint and the wacky outfits, and unburdened by the signs and placards,􀀀the colorful characters turn out to be fans like the rest of us.”􀀀Greg Prince - Faith and Fear in Flushing􀀀